Miyamoto and Iwata talk asymmetric gameplay, Pikmin 3

One of the Wii U’s prominent features is its ability to offer asymmetric gameplay. A player can experience one thing on the television while another may be involved with something completely different on the GamePad. Asymmetric gameplay is certainly an important aspect for Wii U, but according to Shigeru Miyamoto, it won’t be shoehorned into every title.

Pikmin 3 is one such upcoming project that won’t offer asymmetric gameplay. Miyamoto believes that it’s biggest draw is “the high-definition graphics. You can even see Pikmin’s gestures with the graphics.”

Players will be able to view a full map on the GamePad while the TV displays the main visuals. On the other hand, it’s also possible to play off-TV.

Iwata

As for “asymmetric gameplay” of Wii U, whether the name is good or not is different from the reputation of “Nintendo Land” as the representative work incorporating such gameplay. We know some criticized the name “asymmetric gameplay” as debatable and not intuitive, and we have reflected upon its actual explicitness to consumers. On the other hand, we don’t think that asymmetric gameplay itself lacks in appeal because we have received a lot of comments that the gameplay of “Nintendo Land” is in practice interesting. In short, we unfortunately have not overcome the hurdle to come up with the best words to make people easily understand the value of such gameplay. As “Nintendo Land” is to be a longtime seller during the lifespan of Wii U, we would like to somehow invent a way to have many people understand the value of “Nintendo Land” and the appeal of gameplay with both Wii U GamePad and a TV screen. Now I would like Mr. Miyamoto to say something about “Pikmin 3.”

Miyamoto

With regard to “Pikmin 3″ for Wii U, I don’t want to be misconceived, but the biggest draw of this game is the higher-resolution images through the high-definition graphics. You can even see Pikmin’s gestures with the graphics. We are not going to put asymmetric gameplay in a game if it is unnecessary. In this game, you can see the entire map on Wii U GamePad. The two screens of the TV and Wii U GamePad will let you see what you are doing at any time during your gameplay, which alone is a great evolution for a strategy game. As a side note, you can play this game only with Wii U GamePad. If it is hard to imagine what it will be like, maybe you can recall the visuals of the original “Pikmin” for Nintendo GameCube and imagine how you can play it with the smaller but more detailed screen in your hands. The two control sticks of Wii U GamePad will let you play this game more comfortably and, with a TV screen, the gyro sensor inside Wii Remote Plus will further help your gameplay. Wii U GamePad will give you style variations of playing this game and playing only with Wii U GamePad might be a good experience for you. I hope you will like this game.